1. A serious lack of food that continues for a long time and causes many people in a country to become sick or die.
2. A severe shortage of food; such as, through crop failure, resulting in violent hunger, starvation, and death.

Natural causes of famine include drought, flooding, unfavorable weather conditions, plant diseases, and insect infestations while the human cause is war; plus, overpopulation, bad distribution systems, and excessively high food prices.

3. A severe or drastic shortage of something; a dearth or a synonym for "ravenous" or a shortage or scarcity of something: "There is a famine or dearth of information on this subject."

"There is a famine (acute shortage, deficiency, or short supply) of executive talent in this industry."

4. Etymology: from Old French famine, "hunger", from Vulgar Latin famina, which came from Latin fames, "hunger, starvation".